“… and the spinner will spin. and the bass will be thunder subterranean. and the river will rise as
raindrops. from berlin. my favorite electronic house music in the world. immediate. throbbing.”
– Justin Vernon (Bon Iver)

“One of the most prolific and brilliant artists.” – Zane Lowe (Beats 1)

“BOYS NOIZE makes brilliant music. He doesn´t make a lot of music but when he makes it it´s always CLASS.” – Annie Mac (BBC1)

“BOYS NOIZE is the only DJ who can play underground techno for 30,000 people.” – 2MANYDJS / Soulwax

BOYS NOIZE is back with MAYDAY, his most dynamic album to date. Infectiously energetic, uncompromisingly aggressive, capturing the energy and spirit of punk, fused with the relentless power of raw techno and an electrifying dose of classic rave and industrial, MAYDAY transports the innocence of a bygone era into the here-and-now without sounding anachronistic or nostalgic. Collaborations with Poliça, Hudson Mohawke, Benga, Remy Banks, Spank Rock, and some special secret guests broaden the range still further (check the liner notes), while maintaining the classic rugged-n-raw BOYS NOIZE style.

“MAYDAY is me taking the music I love to the future, no matter how uncertain the future seems,” Alex explains.

Genre-bending DJ Hudson Mohawke on the one hand, indie darlings Poliça on the other – the names alone speak volumes about Ridha’s universal approach to music. In that sense, BOYS NOIZE is the perfect representative of a generation that no longer gives a damn about genre boundaries.

For years, techno dogmatists stuck their nose up at his connections to the indie, punk and hip hop scenes. At the same time, he wasn’t mainstream enough for the industry dog-and-pony show. He was, in other words, caught between the worlds. But with a maverick bent and solid vision, channeling a myriad of influences from the past, he pioneered a new sound alongside fellow artists such as Justice and created something fresh, new and exciting. He anticipated a development that today seems self-evident. “This openness has always been important to me,” Ridha explains. “I definitely wouldn’t describe my sound as straight techno. Actually, that’s part of MAYDAY´s point: to show that there’s a world between the worlds.”

The album title MAYDAY refers, appropriately, to the international distress signal. “MAYDAY is my warning signal against blind categorization and conformist synchronization,” says Ridha. “A call for individuality and diversity – and a tribute to outsiders.”

MAYDAY is also a statement of Ridha’s commitment to the album as an art form – an almost rebellious stance these days. In an album, an artist can map the entire breadth of a particular phase of his work, capturing much more than a mere snapshot.

MAYDAY finds BOYS NOIZE in the eye of the storm, broadcasting live from the maelstrom. BOYS NOIZE has always existed in that space between diehard apostle and festival favorite, purist and popular, DJ for the DJs and crowd kids alike, at once techno, industrial and hip-hop, anarchist, outsider, raver, cyberpunk, counterculture advocate, prankster. MAYDAY captures these disparate elements in their most volatile form.

As an artist and producer, BOYS NOIZE has created a sound that is peerless, uncompromising, and enduring – respected in the scene, banging from underground to mainstream, his work flies in the face of convention at every turn. He’s remixed Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, David Lynch and Nine Inch Nails, collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Erol Alkan, and Jarvis Cocker, worked on Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Special” and the soundtrack for Oliver Stone’s forthcoming film “Snowden”, and founded similarly diverse group projects with gifted pianist Chilly Gonzales (Octave Minds), Erol Alkan, Skrillex (Dog Blood), and Mr. Oizo (Handbraekes).

Alex Ridha made his DJ debut at the age of 15, taking a teenager´s love of house and techno to a global scale. He established himself as one of the worldʼs preeminent wizards behind the decks, not only technically but also as a showman. His sets are as uplifting as they are unforgettable. That´s why he´s been anointed one of the “Top 10 DJ’s Who Rule The World” by Rolling Stone, elected “Best Electronic Act” by Beatport 3 years in a row, and lauded by virtually every dance authority. He´s rocked the world’s biggest stages, lit up Coachella three times, stormed Lollapalooza, and headlined festivals and clubs on every continent – from Berlin techno temple Berghain to Fuji Rock in Japan and Justin Vernon’s Eaux Claires Festival in the woods of Wisconsin. All on his own terms.

BOYS NOIZE will premiere his new show at Sonar, Barcelona, on June 18. Boys Noize conceived the spectacle together with visual artists SUS BOY and LIL INTERNET, exploring a thematic narrative inspired by cyberpunk, 80’s industrial and surveillance in contemporary society.

“It’s cyclical, but I think we are in one of those times where things feel like they are on the edge- economies, technologies, societies… “Mayday” refers to both a day of protest and a distress signal. I think this kind of energy runs through the whole album and it’s creative materials- it’s what I like to describe as “positive energy,” but the positive energy of a molotov cocktail exploding.” – Lil Internet

“Working on the song “Starchild” with Boys Noize and the video with Lil Internet were both two of the most inspiring and interesting things I’ve done so far. I am honored to be able to have spent time in both of their worlds and work under their minds for these collaborations.” – Channy Leaneagh of Poliça

“Alex and I have been homies for couple of years now. We’ve worked on few joints together in previous session but this particular one felt like magic. From the moment walked in the studio, I knew something dope was going to be made. We smoked a joint or two, started messing around with sounds, I started freestylin’ things to create a lyrical rhythm to go along with the loop Alex made and there you have it.” – Remy Banks